Jaded
by Yeng-chan
Summary: Sakura knew she had a brother. But she could count on her hands the amount of times she seen him.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Naruto.**

When Sakura first sees him she doesn't _really_ see him. No she senses him. She can't explain it. She just knew. At barely 6 years old the young rosette is already more perceptive (and capable) then half the jounin in the Kohona. So when she feels that _oh-so-familiar _chakra, she doesn't question it. The child knows that it is him. The person the adults talk about only in whispers. Her brother. Of course at the moment she doesn't care. She is busy. Busy being beaten.

That's right. Sakura may be a genius but all that knowledge comes with a price. Her innocence. She is no longer a child. Ever since she joined that… 'academy' her naivity is gone. In it's place is a realization of human nature and shallowness. 'Sakura, these aren't all A's your grounded.' (It was only one B…I'm sorry mommy please don't cry…I will do better next time)'Sakura, I am so disappointed in you. You missed that shot. You're aim is pathetic.'(I'm sorry. Please let me in…I can't sleep out here) 'Sakura, why don't you hang out with other kids. What am I doing wrong.'(I don't have time. I have to keep up my grades…besides the kids don't like me anyways…) 'It's all your fault I lost my job, Sakura.' (Maybe if you weren't drunk all the time…) Sakura, Sakura, Sakura.

Apperantly, everything's wrong with her. She can't sit still. She is too quiet. She needs to study. Why doesn't she have friends? Her forehead is too big. Her eyes too green. Her hair too pink. So at some point she gives up. She stops talking, stops defending herself, and most of all stops caring. That brings her here. Laying down and letting those nameless (she stops learning their names long ago) hit her, kick her, and she can't bring herself to care. 'Maybe it would be better. If I could just stop living. This hurts too much' Sakura thinks to herself. That's when she it happens. She quickly looks to where she feels the energy and something strange happens. She reacts to the odd chakra that suspicously feels like home. She gets up. Dusts herself off and walks away.

She is done. Done pretending to be the good girl her parents want her to be. Done acting like she should care what those words coming out of those nameless faces are. Most of all she's going to start. Start living for herself. Start training because _she_ wants to. Not because her parents are forcing her to. She is going to become a good…no Great ninja….and she is going to find sher brother on her own terms. When _she _feels like it, and not a moment sooner. Then when she does, that day she is going to _finally _have a family. She just knows it. Because after all, Sakura is a perceptive child.

What she doesn't know is that the whole event was being understood by the two individuals in hiddin in the trees. One of the men, blond, notes the importance this will have in the future and carefully files it away for latter anaylizing. Then he glances at his companion and decides to break the silence with a joke.

"Man your sister is a whimp, yeah."

"Shut it, Deidara. You know that isn't true. She is talented. Or are you telling me you didn't notice that the second me got here she looked right at us? That she just got up and walked away without another glance at her tormentors? If your telling me you didn't notice the pure strength in her eyes as she walked away, then you are a pathetic excuse for a ninja. My sister is no weakling and she will eventually join the Akatsuki so I would advise you to keep your insuffurable comments to yourself. Now let's go. We are going to be late." The mysterious man said, leaving his partner behind him.

**Hope you liked. Not sure if I will follow up. If you want me too than review and let me know who you want the brother to be.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Nothing has changed. I am still lazy. I still don't own Naruto. Get over it.**

The next time Sakura sees him is two years later. She is at her parents funeral, listening to the whispers and gossip the former 'friends' of her….parents are dishing out is amusing, the highlight of the event. Of course as soon as she thinks this she takes it back quickly deciding with absolute firmity that it is second. Second to the only to the _cause _of said funeral. Her parents death.

For the first time in her eight years, Sakura is _free_. No longer will she have to deal with what she has had to for the last couple of years. _Obviously_, after that fateful day at the park the abuse (she can say it now, right?) didn't stop. Not that the realistic 6 year old she had been thought that it would. In fact she had suspected and prepared herself for the fight she knew was going to happen. She was, unfortunatly, not wrong in her assumption that it wasn't going to get better any time soon. It got worse, but she didn't regret her _decision_, not for a second. If anything it got stronger. When they yelled at her, she knew she was doing what was right for her. When they hit her, she reminded her that this too was a part of training.

Eventually, things did get better for Sakura. She finally made friends with someone who was very simular to her, both in personality and situation. Shikamaru was a intelligent, mature, and had a great sense of humor. Contrary to popular belief he wasn't lazy. Just overtaxed. Like Sakura, the boys parents expected too much out of the 8 year old. Pushing and pushing him to do more and more, there was only so much one person could do. So as a result, he was tired all the time and didn't want to do 'troublesome' things. This was fine with Sakura, who found him enjoyable company (the feeling was mutual), they were both quiet and were content to just lay in the shade, watching clouds go by. As a result of this newly found kindred spirit they had in eachother they had the tendency to shy away from others company and became even more antisocial with anyone but the other.

Shikamaru was also the same as her in their confidence. It wasn't the arrogant- narcissistic kind nor the loud-brash kind that gets you in trouble more often than not. No, theirs was a quiet kind of knowledge that made them often unapproachable. It came with a sort of understanding. Yes, they were intellegent. Yes they were more mature than others their age. It was the kind of confidence that came from experience, and they both had more than their share of that.

A high pitched voice pierced through her thoughts. "Well I pity them. They had to deal with that selfish brat of a girl, but they were to nice. You know what they say, spare the rod spoil the child, I'd give any amount of money to bet _she _killed them. I mean she isn't even crying." It was all Sakura could do to keep the dark laughter from exploding from her mouth. The rod was the one thing they _had _'spared' her from. That hadn't stopped her from noticing the chuckle that came from behind her, though. She turned around to look at the source of the sound and immediately knew who it was.

He had red hair, was the first thing the child saw. Then she narrowed in looking at the green-grey eyes that held a steely look (She later found herself wondering if that was the same kind of look people see in her eyes, and finds an understanding of sorts. It _would_ be unnerving to see that coming from a child.) that told her he was not a man to be crossed, better a friend than an enemy, and instinctivily she knew that he had less of the former and more of the latter. As her eyes took in all this, she was struck with the sudden knowledge that this was her brother. For some reason this didn't surprise her. Not for a second, however she knew that she needed to leave now if she wished to keep her promise to herself and seek him out on her own terms. So she got up and walked away for a the second time.

**Same rules apply. Want more chapters? Review.**


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